Reflection of Blood Diamond

Reflection of Blood Diamond

According to the the existentialist philosopher, Jean-Paul Sartre’s (1905-1980), “existence precedes essence,” and man is responsible to not just himself but all humankind, therefore, there is no private choice without social consequence (Oaklander, 1996, p. 311). It is the ideas of responsibility, freedom, value and the impacts of an individual’s choice that are explored in Edward Zwick’s, 2006 film, Blood Diamond. The film exposes the horrific truth and blood shed associated with the Western’s greed and desire for diamonds. Blood Diamond takes place in Sierra Leone in 1999 during the civil war between the government and rebels, partially a result of the demand and value placed on diamonds in the West. The rebels, Revolutionary United Front (RFU), funded their terror on the area by selling and trading diamonds for arms. They terrorized the area by; burning down villages, brutally killing and mutilating people, enslaving people to work in diamond mines and taking children and forcing them to become child soldiers. The film, Blood Diamond (2006), illustrates the existentialist views, that freedom cannot be achieved at the expense of others and there is no private choice without consequences; moreover, the film displays how we must be aware of our greater responsibility to humanity and make decisions that have positive global effects.

There is one factor that brings all the characters in the film together and that is a rare pink diamond. Solomon, a fisherman, found this diamond during his enslavement in a mining camp after his village was burned down and he was separated from his family. The diamond, of course, is merely an object, however, the diamond symbolizes freedom to Solomon, Danny, the diamond smuggler and the rebel commander because of the value placed on it by others (Westerners mostly). For Solomon the diamond is the answer to getting his family back and freeing them from the refugee camp. For Danny, the diamond smuggler, the diamond is his, “ticket out of this God forsaken continent,” as he refers to Africa (Zwick, 2006). Lastly, for the rebel commander the rare diamond is a means to escape his current world. All three characters see the diamond as their liberation, because diamonds have become symbols of wealth and status, a direct result of a cunning marketing campaign by large diamond corporations, such as De Beers. According to philosopher Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986), “Freedom is the source from which all significations and all values spring” (Oaklander, 1996, p. 346). This is clearly evident in this film as all these characters find value in what they think will eventually bring them freedom.

However, this freedom is at the expense of other’s freedom for Danny and the rebel commander. These two characters clearly lack morals, as one enslaves men and children and the other supplies weapons to allow the former